Tag Archives: Trans Justice Funding Project

A very warm welcome to Zakia McKensey to the TJFP 2019 Grantmaking Fellowship! Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Zakia is currently working extremely hard to carefully review hundreds of applications in preparation for our upcoming grantmaking meeting in June. We cannot wait to learn and grow from her leadership on this years team!

“Sharing space with the other grantmaking fellows and hearing from people from rural Montana to communities in Hawaii helped to open my mind about how differently the work looks for people in different areas. Sometimes when you’re on the ground, it is easy to lose that perspective, and instead think, “This is what’s working for me and my girls in Detroit, so it should work for everyone, right?” But, no, it doesn’t always work like that. So when an application came in from a rural part of the country, it was important to hear from someone from that community. These conversations really helped me be more strategic and forward-thinking about who we were supporting and funding.” -Bré Anne Rivera

Each year we invite our talented Fellows to share their thoughts and experiences as grantmaking panelists in our “Letters From the Table” section of our annual report. Last year fall we were fortunate enough to get a chance to sit down with 2018 TJFP Fellow, Bré Anne Rivera to gain a better understanding of her experience reviewing over 200 applications and selecting grantees through a community-led process.

In her interview Bré bravely spoke from the heart, candidly sharing powerful reflections and recommendations for the funding world that we hope will resinate with you whether you’re a grassroots organizer, a funder or someone interested in trans justice and liberation.

We’re so happy and proud to announce that we exceeded our fundraising goal and raised $50,922. This means, that once again we’ll be able to distribute $500,000.00 to our grantees this year! That’s half a million dollars supporting something truly invaluable–trans justice led by grassroots, trans leadership across the country.

Over 200 individuals donated, which is awe-inspiring and humbling. We can’t thank you enough for all your generosity and support! We truly couldn’t do this without you.

“TJFP is something that I’m so excited to tell people about because I think a lot of people don’t know that this group exists–where you have trans people getting money and then deciding how can we support other trans organizations that are doing work.” – Peterson Toscano, Theatrical Performance Activist & TJFP Monthly Donor

Why donate?

In the words of monthly donor Nicole Myles, “Worlds don’t change from just one moment or movement.” Instead, as donor Harper Jean Tobin puts it, “we need many voices and many kinds of work.” As grassroots funders, we don’t give grants only to those who fit narrow ideas of success or worth. We want to fund as many groups as possible, so that all of these brilliant visions and voices have a chance to keep on growing, changing, and connecting.

Your donation helps support trans justice groups focusing on local needs—groups that many mainstream foundations consider “too small” of an investment.

Your donation helps support grassroots organizations that take risks—that try radical new tactics, that find ways to work outside pre-existing systems to support marginalized communities.

Your donation reaches grantees with no strings attachedY–allowing these brilliant leaders and activists to do their work without worrying about anyone’s approval but the communities they serve.

As our six Community Grantmaking Fellows carefully review the 216 applications we received this year–more applications than we’ve ever received before!–we see creative, dynamic responses to anti-trans threats. We see groups responding to local, unique needs, led by trans people from those communities who understand the stakes best.

These folks need your support!

Be a part of raising $50,000 more so that we can distribute, in total, half a million dollars this year–half a million that will go to urgently needed trans justice work around the country. Donor Peterson Toscano puts it best, in the video you can watch below: “When I look at LGBTQ history, it’s always been the trans people, the gender non-conforming people, who’ve been on the front lines, who really stood up. And I wouldn’t have the freedoms I have today, if it wasn’t for trans folks doing that.”

Wherever you are, however much you give, you’ll be supporting the trans leadership that has always existed and shaped our movements!

In 2017, TJFP gave half a million dollars to 153 trans-led grassroots groups across the country, and we hope to give another half a million away in 2018.

Applications are now open for 2018 TJFP grants! Please review the eligibility criteria and apply! Share widely and get your application in!

The application is currently available in English and Spanish, but please email us at admin@transjusticefundingproject.org by January 15th if you need a translated version in another language of the application. We aim to make this process as accessible as possible, so please let us know about any other needs you have and we will do our best to meet them.

While you’re at it, check out our 2016 annual report so that you can see some of the groups that we funded last year. And if you can, help us continue to make this work happen by donating. From $1 to $50,000, there truly is no donation too big or too small. Every penny goes directly to these grassroots groups, without strings attached. Please join TJFP in continuing to support grassroots trans leadership!

We encourage you to honor the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson’s work by supporting trans leadership!

Power to the People: Exploring Marsha P. Johnson’s Queer Liberation

Marsha P. Johnson (August 24, 1945 – July 6, 1992) was an American activist, artist, sex worker, and liberation embodied. She lived and fought against the discriminations and abuses experienced by trans people. Along with fellow trans activist Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) to house and support drag queens, femmes, and trans women who were living on the street in NYC.

And congratulations to the TJFP’s grantee’s who have been mentioned in this article and to all of the amazing trans woman of color who are on the front lines fighting for justice and liberation for our communities.

On this day especially, we encourage you to check out our grantees using the TJFP digital map and consider supporting these groups in any way you can!

This week over twitter, Donald Trump threatened to reinstate a ban on qualified transgender people serving in the military. His tweet, could result in the discharge of over 15,000 transgender people who are serving in the U.S. military. And it’s another attempt to distract folks from the enormous amount of harm his cabinet continues to inflict on our already marginalized and oppressed communities.

From the targeting of black bodies, trans women of color, Muslims, immigrants, the poor and working class, youth, trans communities and so many more, these relentless efforts to devalue our lives are unacceptable at best and are ultimately, an attack on us all.

Whether you remain outraged or have just begun to feel anger, we urge you to support local, grassroots organizing in whatever ways you can.

In a political climate that seeks to attack us over and over, our only option is to keep showing up for each other. Together, we ARE the majority!

TJFP is sending our love to all of the trans and gender non conforming individuals and communities. You and your struggle are why we exist.

Right now in Brooklyn, a very sweet event is happening featuring amazing queer country artists! Music, delicious food and after the artists get paid, remaining proceeds will be donated to TJFP. Please come stop by if you can!

Today! Another Country!

This is the anti-July-4th, all-day, all-out extravaganza you’ve been waiting for! 13 amazing queer, trans, and/or poc bands. A giant bake sale to benefit the Trans Justice Funding Project. DJ Nath Ann Carrera. Host Heather María Ács. Tacos from the Kimchi Taco Truck. What is country music? Who is it for? Come envision another country with us on Sunday, July 2nd!

Tickets are $10-$20 sliding scale* for the day-long festival. Please pay what you can to support our musicians! No one ever turned away for lack of cash! Any profits from the day, after all the musicians get paid, will also be donated to TJFP.

***Littlefield has an accessible front entrance and all-gender, single stall, accessible bathrooms***

Schedule:
(Here’s what time you should plan to be there if you want to make sure to catch these performers)

Trans Justice Funding Projectwww.transjusticefundingproject.org
TJFP is a community-led funding initiative that supports grassroots, trans justice groups run by and for trans people. TJFP centers the leadership of trans people organizing around their experiences with racism, economic injustice, transmisogyny, ableism, immigration, incarceration, and other intersecting oppressions.

“I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.”
—James Baldwin, Another Country

Just two weeks ago the 2017 TJFP Fellowship team made their way to New York city to meet for the very first time in person. Since March, each of them have dedicated their days, nights and weekends to carefully review all 175 applications received. For three days the devoted grant making panelists gave their everything-as they selected grantees and award amounts.

Because of this team, the amazing projects and organizations that applied for funding and our dedicated donors, this year we were not only able to DOUBLE our grant amounts, we also distributed half a million dollars to grassroots, trans-led, trans justice organizing! As we celebrate our 5th anniversary, we can’t think of anything more celebratory then being able to fund 153 groups!

Congratulations TJFP friends and family and to everyone who’s kept trans justice close to your heart!

***Please check out this year’s list of grantees below***

The 2017 TJFP Grantees

Allgo, Austin, TX

API Equality – Northern California (APIENC), San Francisco, CA

Area 425, Minneapolis, MN

Arianna’s Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Arkansas Transgender Equality Coalition, Little Rock, AR

Beyond These Walls, Portland, OR

bklyn boihood, Brooklyn, NY

Black Excellence Collective, Philadelphia

Black Trans Media, Brooklyn, NY

Black Transmen Inc, Dallas, TX

Black Transwomen Inc, Dallas, TX

Bois of the SIppi, Corinth, MS

Bold & Beautiful, Memphis, TN

Brave Space Alliance, Chicago, IL

Bridgewalkers Alliance, Portland, OR

Brutha’s Rising,Inc., Pittsburgh, CA

Camp Born This Way, Tucson, AZ

Center for Community Healing, Madison, WI

Central Texas Transgender Health Coalition, Austin, TX

Cicada Collective, Austin, TX

Colectivo intercultural TRANSgrediendo / CITG, Jackson Heights, NY

Collective of Geniuses, Seattle, WA

Community Ele’te, Richmond, VA

Community Kinship Life (CK Life), Bronx, NY

Comunidad Estrella, Brookhaven/Atlanta, GA

CVille Peer Group, Troy, VA

Detroit REPRESENT!, Detroit, MI

Durham Gender Alliance, Durham, NC

East Coast Two Spirit Society, Lewes, DE

Four Direction Fire Keeper – Eagle Evolution, Long Beach, CA

FTM Foundation, Atlanta, GA

Fuerza y Union Multiple, Henderson, NC

Garden of Peace Project, Pittsburgh, PA

Gender Benders, Piedmont, SC

Gender Infinity, Houston, TX

Gender Justice LA, Los Angeles, CA

Gender Justice League, Seattle, WA

Gender Justice Nevada, Las Vegas, NV

GenderNexus, Indianapolis, IN

Good Sense Farm & Apiary, Washington, DC

Green Mountain Crossroads, Brattleboro, VT

Greensboro Community Care Collective, Greensboro, NC

Heartland Trans Wellness Group, Cincinnati, OH

Hearts on a Wire, Philadelphia, PA

Idaho Transgender Healthcare Advocacy Coalition, Boise, ID

Immigrant Youth Coalition, Los Angeles, CA

Ingersoll Gender Center, Seattle, WA

Interfaith Working Group, Philadelphia, PA

Jacksonville Transgender Action Committee Inc., Jacksonville, FL

Jays House, Woodbourne, NY

Kaffir Bois, Brooklyn, NY

Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project, Topeka, KS

Kentucky Health Justice Network and TSTAR, Louisville, KY

Kinetic Collective, Tampa, FL

La Oportunidad, Los Angeles, CA

LaGender Inc., Eastpoint, GA

Las Vegas TransPride, Las Vegas, NV

Latinas Trans Dallas, fort worth, TX

Live It Fully Empowered (LIFE), Long Beach, CA

Louisiana Trans Advocates, Metairie, LA

Lynchburg Transgender Alliance, Lynchburg, VA

MaineTransNet, Portland, ME

Mariposas Sin Fronteras, Tucson, AZ

Metro Trans Umbrella Group, St. Louis, MO

Mid Missouri Transgender Support, Columbia, MO

Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition, Minneapolis, MN

Montana Two Spirit Society, Missoula, MT

Nationz Foundation, Richmond, VA

NC Queer TROUBLMakers, Greensboro, NC

NC Trans Leadership Council, Asheville, NC

New Legacy Ministries\Media, New Orleans, LA

New York City Trans Oral History Project, Brooklyn, NY

No Labels Clothing Cooperative, Buffalo, NY

North State Trans/GNC Project, Chico, CA

Organizacion Latina de Trans en Texas, Houston, TX

Our Spot KC, Kansas City, MO

Out Of The Box: Helpin’ Tranz Form U, Fayetteville, AR

Outshine NW, Burien, WA

Peacock Rebellion, Oakland, CA

Portland Outright, Portland, ME

Queer Detainee Empowerment Project, New York, NY

RAD Remedy, Chicago, IL

RARE Productions, Minneapolis, MN

Rising Up, Seattle, WA

San Francisco Transgender Film Festival, San Francisco, CA

Sankofa Collective NW, Portland, OR

Santa Barbara Transgender Advocacy Network, Santa Barbara, CA

School of Liberation Healing and Medicine/Queering Herbalism, Pittsburgh, PA